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Mount St. Mary's Hospital and Health Center
Mount St. Mary's Hospital and Health Center

Mount St. Mary's Hospital receives chest pain center re-accreditation

by jmaloni

Submitted

Sat, Feb 22nd 2014 11:10 am

Mount St. Mary's Hospital has received full accreditation status from the Society of Cardiovascular Patient Care as a "chest pain" center. Mount St. Mary's is the only hospital in Niagara County with this prestigious accreditation and one of only two in all of Western New York.

"Mount St. Mary's continues to provide the highest standard of care for our patients with chest pain (acute coronary syndrome), and this re-accreditation is a testament to the work done by our team of health care professionals," said Judith Maness, hospital president and CEO. "This community is fortunate to have a very skilled multi-disciplinary team to provide their care in case of emergency. The SCPC accreditation affirms their excellence."

The Mount St. Mary's Hospital Chest Pain Center steering committee members, headed by Chief of Cardiology Dr. Benjamin Rueda and Chief of Emergency Medicine Dr. Lloyd Brown, are dedicated to the improvement of all aspects of care relating to the acute coronary syndrome patient. The Chest Pain Center team members at Mount St. Mary's work collaboratively to improve the standard of care provided to the ACS patient through process improvement, specifically designed to streamline diagnosis and time to treatment.

Heart attacks are the leading cause of death in the U.S., with 600,000 people dying annually of heart disease. More than 5 million Americans with chest pain visit hospitals each year. SCPC's goal is to significantly reduce the mortality rate of these patients by teaching the public to recognize and react to the early symptoms of a possible heart attack, reduce the time it takes to receive treatment, and increase the accuracy and effectiveness of treatment.

The accredited chest pain center's protocol-driven and systematic approach to patient management allows physicians to reduce time to treatment during the critical early stages of a heart attack, when treatments are most effective, and to better monitor patients when it is not clear whether or not they are having a coronary event. Such observation helps ensure patients are neither sent home too early nor needlessly admitted.

With the increase in chest pain centers came the need to establish standards designed to improve the consistency and quality of care provided to patients. SCPC's accreditation process ensures centers meet or exceed quality-of-care measures in acute cardiac medicine.

The accredited chest pain center at Mount St. Mary's has demonstrated its expertise and commitment to quality patient care by meeting or exceeding a wide set of stringent criteria and undergoing an onsite review by a team of SPCP's accreditation review specialists. Key areas in which an accredited chest pain center must demonstrate expertise include the following:

•Integrating the emergency department with the local emergency medical system;

•Assessing, diagnosing, and treating patients quickly;

•Effectively treating patients with low risk for acute coronary syndrome and no assignable cause for their symptoms;

•Continually seeking to improve processes and procedures;

•Ensuring the competence and training of accredited chest pain center personnel;

•Maintaining organizational structure and commitment;

•Having a functional design that promotes optimal patient care; and

•Supporting community outreach programs that educate the public to promptly seek medical care if they display symptoms of a possible heart attack.

Mount St. Mary's Hospital and Health Center, a member of Ascension Health, is a 175-bed community hospital in Lewiston. Mount St. Mary's Hospital is committed to sustaining and improving the health and spirit of individuals and communities with special attention to the needs of those who are poor and vulnerable. Mount St. Mary's team of health care professionals includes 1,250 employees, more than 200 physicians and 250 volunteers, working with the latest technology, the most current programming, and the very best of care.

Other facilities include the 250-bed Our Lady of Peace Rehabilitation and Nursing Care Residence, the Center for Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation, and the Neighborhood Health Center. For more information, visitwww.msmh.org or call 716-298-2146.

The Society of Cardiovascular Patient care is an international not-for-profit organization that focuses on transforming cardiovascular care by assisting facilities in their effort to create communities of excellence that bring together quality, cost and patient satisfaction. As the only cross-specialty organization, SCPC provides the support needed for individual hospitals and hospital systems to effectively bridge existing gaps in treatment by providing the tools, education and support necessary to successfully navigate the changing face of health care.

For more information on SCPC, accreditation and certification opportunities, visit www.scpcp.org, or call toll free 1-877-271-4176.

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